The Association of Professional Political Consultants (APPC) has announced the appointments of Nick Lansmann and Mark Glover to the position of Deputy Chair, following elections on Monday 22nd June. The announcement is made during a period in which the APPC has been fighting for a “fair and proportionate” deal from the statutory lobbying register.
Re-appointed Nick Lansman launched Political Intelligence in Westminster in 1995 and has since set up offices in Brussels, Madrid, Edinburgh, and most recently in Rome. He graduated from Manchester University before spending time with the European Commission’s press bureau in London and Spain and working as a public affairs consultant in Brussels.
Fellow Deputy Chair Mark Glover has thirty years experience at the heart of politics and public affairs. He served as a Labour Councillor in Southwark from 2002-2014, during which time he founded Bellenden and has overseen its growth into an award winning, medium-sized communications agency.
Iain Anderson, Chairman of the APPC said: “The Management Committee voted unanimously for Nick and Mark to support me during these crucial twelve months. Together we’ll work to ensure APPC members’ voices are heard as the Office of the Register of Consultant Lobbyists (ORCL) considers how best to enforce compliance.
“We've already submitted APPC's response to the ORCL consultation and ahead of the expected publication this summer of the Registrar’s guidance we’ll be making the case to both the Cabinet Office and to Alison White about the importance of developing fair and proportionate rules of compliance.
"APPC will also continue to be a passionate and powerful voice for our sector. As lobbying comes increasingly under the spotlight it’s our job to remind people about the fundamental role of APPC’s self-regulatory system - with the Code of Conduct at its heart - in driving transparency and ethical behavior among our members.
Mark Glover, newly-appointed Deputy Chairman of the APPC, said: “I am delighted to serve as a Deputy Chair of the APPC in the coming year and want to focus on ensuring clarity around the Government’s rules about public sector organisations working with member agencies and also help promote the professionalism of the industry sector.“
Nick Lansman, Deputy Chairman of the APPC, added: "I’m delighted to be re-appointed as Deputy Chairman for a second year. The work of the APPC in being a representative voice of public affairs professionals in the UK is more important than ever. I shall be working with other management committee colleagues to ensure the governance of the organisation continues to reflect the needs of a growing organisation and will be developing new ways to engage with the membership and follow developments in the sector.”
Interel's Becca Wright was also elected as the new Chair of the Young Consultant’s Committee (YCC), taking over from Cameron Penny. She said: "I’m delighted to serve as Chair of the YCC, representing the wealth of talent coming into the public affairs industry. I look forward to working with YCC colleagues to ensure that we can promote the strengths of the APPC and what we offer consultants in terms of training, mentoring and networking opportunities, as well as doing our part to encourage a more diverse industry."